Project Engineer/Junior Project Manager - ADU Construction
Listed on 2026-05-02
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Construction
Operations Manager
Position Purpose
The Project Engineer / Junior Project Manager owns the delivery of each ADU construction project from City-approved plans through final punch list completion and client move-in. Working alongside our Director of Construction, the PE manages change orders, accounts receivables, scheduling, and critical-path decisions on assigned projects to ensure every build is delivered on time (within 6-12 weeks, 12 weeks being the absolute maximum), on budget, and to the 5-star standard Backyard Estates is known for.
The PE is the homeowner's "first call" throughout construction and is directly accountable for the customer experience.
This is a high-visibility seat with a clear path to full Project Manager ownership inside 12-18 months. You'll work directly with our Director of Construction (Tom Gibson) and President (Adam Stewart) on projects across the Inland Empire and LA County, with full ownership of multi-million dollar ADU builds. We are looking for a hungry, coachable up-and-comer ready to run multiple concurrent projects, lead client communication, and grow into a senior leadership role on our construction team.
CoreResponsibilities
Customer Experience & Communication
- Complete ownership of each customer experience from City-approved plans through final punch list completion and open house.
- Lead Pre-Construction Meetings: schedule, plan, and lead each meeting once plans are approved and prior to breaking ground. Restate project scope, provide unique project insights, set clear expectations on timeline, communication, pricing, and onsite expectations (Big 12, utility shut-off, staging areas, etc.).
- Be the homeowner's "First Call" for all questions, concerns, and project updates throughout construction.
- Deliver weekly client updates via Buildertrend before 12:00 PM every Friday: work completed that week, items still outstanding with solutions, updated timeline, and items planned for the following week. Goal: anticipate every customer question so they never have to ask.
- Process ALL Change Orders within 24 hours of identification (never more than 48 hours), complete with photos, detailed scope, material and labor breakdown, schedule impact, and pricing, sent via Buildertrend. Client approval required prior to work starting or within 48 hours, whichever is sooner.
- $0 Change Orders must be issued for any work outside the customer's ADU Agreement scope, with customer approval signature for clean documentation and tracking.
- Drive 5-star reviews where clients name their PE/PM by name. Every interaction should reinforce that the client is in excellent hands.
Project Scheduling & Timeline Management
- Upcoming Permit Approval list provided to the Superintendent and Leadership weekly for any approval anticipated within 2 weeks (triggered 2 weeks following Second Submittal to Building).
- Pull ADU Permit within 5 business days of City approval.
- Ground breaking takes place within 2 weeks of City approval of ADU plans.
- Deliver every project within 6-10 weeks (ground‑breaking to final inspection, open house, and blue tape homeowner walkthrough complete; never greater than 12 weeks total).
- Coordinate with trades and vendors for all punch list and warranty items within 48 hours of final inspection, proactively identifying and resolving scheduling conflicts.
- Confirm and resolve all Big 12 issues prior to Pre-Construction Meeting: customer selections, city business license, job card in hand, City pre‑con meeting, doors and windows ordered, survey, soils test/inspection, fire sprinkler plans approved, solar, new water meter, new sewer lateral, new electrical meter, new gas meter, dig alert, etc.
- Maintain and update the master construction schedule daily in Buildertrend (and the Company Job Schedule) for each active project, ensuring all trades, inspections, and milestones are current.
- City Inspections scheduled and sat as needed; PE is proactive to ensure 90%+ of inspections pass without corrections.
- Schedule open houses 30 days in advance with client approval; coordinate staging and professional photography.
Financial & Budget Management
- Proactively identify cost‑saving solutions and value engineering both…
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